Philosophy of Education

Pedro Rico
Lois Oestreich
2/9/18

Philosophy of Education
The purpose of education is to prepare students with the tools and pathways that propel them
towards success; so that they can contribute back to society in a meaningful and impactful way. The role
of a student is to come prepared with a creative, radical, and innovative mind. As for instructors, we are
here to facilitate the growth and cooperation of our students. Teachers must be able to branch out of their
institutions so that they can reach communicate with the families of their students. They must also be
given autonomy, in how their classrooms will operate, professional colleagues must have the capacity and
the need to collaborate with their peers; especially at times when an instructor is having a difficult time
yielding positive results.
The reason why I've been interested in education is that for some time now, I have listened to the
stories that echo through the halls of secondary schools and it is heartbreaking to know that many of these
students will not move on to a four-year institution let alone a two year. Students’ that do not test well are
quickly labeled as unteachable; instructors start to make quick judgment calls on whether it's worth their
time to teach them and from there, slowly they contribute to the divestment of their students future. This
is why I believe education needs to move away from such strenuous metrics to measure a students worth.
If I had the power today I’d stop all standardized testing and return the content back to teachers thus
providing instructors the much-needed autonomy they rightfully deserve. Secondly, I would remind
teachers that all students are human beings who will be contributing back to our society; many teachers
still hold strong to their biases, I hope that by addressing those barriers we can move forward in providing
a humanistic approach to teaching.
Once these restraints have been removed from the system; my focus as an instructor would be to
provide my students with the tools that are needed to succeed in their own way. I believe in the
philosophy of progressivism, which claims that we must emphasize real-world problem solving and
individual development. I want my students to relate to the content that I will be teaching; as a social
science teacher, I want them to leave high school valuing civil liberties and understanding the history of
why they must be protected and why we must participate in politics. I believe in progressive dialogue as a
catharsis for a society; our this nation and the world at large are becoming more diverse. As an instructor I
will promote a safe space in my classroom so that it is possible to debate on sensitive topics; students
must be able to listen to differing ideas and react appropriately without resorting to intuition but by
reacting with reason. The Socratic method would be the best tool in fostering progressive dialogue, the
basic principle is to ask, why something is the way it is, this can also be applicable to institutions, social
Philosophy of Education

constructs etc., this method will help students to develop their ideas or alter them depending on the unique
encounter with their peers.
Also, one person can not hope to change everything that is wrong on their own, which is why we
must encourage collaboration among instructors. Social de-constructionism asserts that schools, teachers,
and students should take the lead in addressing social problems and improving society. As instructors, we
know many of the problems that occur in the system and the issues our students will be facing which is
why it would be in our best interest to reach out to one another, to solve a particular issue. In addition, we
are also part of the community and we must do our best to reach out to every parent so that they feel
welcome and a part of the school. From what I have observed, there are many parents who are not
involved in their student's academic progress, this could be a variety of reasons. Regardless, the key to
success for our students is to introduce parents into the educational processes so that they can make the
best decision for them. I want parents to feel that their children are being noticed and that their child has
the potential for more. Parent involvement is crucial for students cognitive development and success in
school, it will be my goal to inspire parents to take a more active role in their student's education. I'm also
aware that not all students have parents and which doesn't change the fact that I will make sure that
whoever is the legal guardian to the student is an active participant in the school.
I plan on getting my masters in public administration, I would like to run my own high school
and or run for public office. What motivates me is metaphysics; the question I ask myself is, what can I
do with the mind and time that I have been given to promote real changes in today's society? I know how
high school can be on most students, I've seen them lose their interest in the education system, they start
to feel a lack of autonomy, I want to change all that. All students deserve to know that their dreams are
just as valid as someone who is going into science or math. I want a school where all students are valued
regardless of test scores, I want my students to graduate valuing education and civil liberties; this is my
philosophy and I'm sticking to it.

Reference list
Philosophy of Education

Kauchak, Donald P.,Eggen, Paul D.. (2017) Introduction to teaching :becoming a professional (6th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson,